How to tell if your child has a learning difficulty

It's natural for a parent to worry about their child's development from birth right through to their teenage years. All children develop at different rates, and learning difficulties will become more apparent when a child starts primary school.

The main thing that a parent has to remember is that no two individuals are completely identical, says Geraldine Walford, a consultant in child and adolescent psychiatry for Dr Morton's. Even identical twins who share exactly the same genes have slight differences in both their physical and mental development because the environmental factors they have experienced, both in the womb and as they grow up, will be slightly different.

What is a learning difficulty?

A learning difficulty can be described as an issue with the brain's ability to process information. Those who have a learning difficulty may not learn in the same way or as quickly as their peers.

The expression learning difficulty is used to describe a difficulty a child with normal or above average intelligence might have in a specific area of learning. This is not the same as a with learning disability where the child's overall intelligence is below normal range, advises Geraldine.

"Children with a learning difficulty can sometimes feel frustrated because even though they have normal or higher than average intelligence they have difficulty in expressing their knowledge. They might know exactly what they want to do or say but just can't do it, it's difficult to do the things they want to and as a result they can get quite frustrated, lose confidence in themselves and feel unhappy."

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Many children with learning difficulties are very intelligent and often they can use their strengths to hide certain difficulties.

What are the different types of learning difficulty?

The most well-known of these is dyslexia or reading difficulty, says Geraline. And many famous people, like Keira Knightly, Daniel Radcliffe and Steven Spielberg, have talked about what it's like to have this and how difficult school can be until it's recognised.

But there are several others less well known ones which can all make school and/or other areas of life more of a struggle are: dyscalculia, dysgraphia and dyspraxia.

Dyslexia

Although it's used as a general term to describe difficulty in writing, reading and spelling, it's important to realise that not all poor readers and spellers are actually dyslexic. Dyslexia occurs despite normal intelligence and teaching. It's estimated that around 4% of the population have severe dyslexia to a level requiring support in school or as an adult, with another 6% suffering in a less severe form.

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Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia
is a condition that causes trouble with written expression. It can appear as difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting and trouble putting thoughts on paper. Many people with dysgraphia are able to write, but this requires a higher than usual degree of concentration and working memory.

Dyspraxia

Dyspraxia refers to difficulty with coordinating movements, such as controlling a pencil, grasping scissors, and hand-eye coordination.

Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia refers to a difficulty with mathematics, such as computing and money concepts. It's a specific learning disorder that's characterised by impairments in learning basic arithmetic facts, processing numerical magnitude and performing accurate and fluent calculations.

What to look out for at preschool

It's good to pick up on problems early as if a child has difficulty in either understanding what others are saying or in expressing their thoughts and ideas then it can make it more difficult for them to make friends and be part of a group, says Geraldine. If you are worried, here are a few things to look out for:

Slow language development or difficulty in finding the words or putting words together to make sentences.

Difficulty in understanding what others are saying or problems in saying what they mean.

Delay in learning to sit, crawling and walking fine motor movements such as drawing and copying letters and numbers.

Sometimes children have memory difficulties and find routines difficult to remember and follow. They might have difficult in following instructions particularly multiple instructions. This can get them into trouble at school (or be labelled as disobedient).

Look for difficulties in mixing with other children, not finding the rules of play easy to understand and not relating and interacting with other children.

Geraldine says that some kinds of learning difficulty are not apparent until senior school.

"With increased responsibilities and more complex work, new areas of weakness may become apparent."

What should you do if you are concerned your child has a learning difficulty?

If you're concerned your child might have a learning difficulty, the best thing to do is speak to your child's teacher. They will have access to advice from educational psychologists and speech therapists depending on the particular problem, says Geraldine.

"And of course with any problem concerning your child's development physical, intellectual behavioural and emotional you can always talk to your GP who will guide you."

The earlier you intervene, the easier it will be to find ways to support your child's learning needs.

And don't worry too much about slightly delayed speech because 20 to 40% may have this and in many cases it resolves itself. Geraldine says

"Many children are slightly 'late talkers but catch up on their own . But if u think your child's language development is trailing behind that of others and not catching up then seek help."

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